Sweden’s veteran goalkeeper Robin Olsen has retired from international football after coach Jon Dahl Tomasson informed him he would no longer be the first-choice keeper.
The 35-year-old, who made 79 appearances for Sweden over a decade, was criticized for a costly error in last month’s 2-2 draw with Slovenia in World Cup qualifying. He also played in the 2-0 defeat to Kosovo four days later, which turned out to be his final match for the national team.
The Swedish football federation confirmed Tuesday that Olsen was stepping down with immediate effect. In an interview with Swedish daily Aftonbladet, the Malmö goalkeeper said his decision was final as long as Tomasson remains in charge, describing him as “a leader that I didn’t want to work under.”
Olsen revealed that Tomasson initially assured him he was Sweden’s No. 1 choice but later reversed his decision. The coach is set to announce his squad Wednesday for upcoming qualifiers against Switzerland and Kosovo, with Viktor Johansson likely to step in as first-choice goalkeeper.
Reflecting on his career, Olsen said it was a “great honor” to represent Sweden and thanked fans for their support. National team manager Stefan Pettersson called Olsen’s retirement “sad,” adding that he “meant a huge amount” to the squad.